Ramp: Forces and Motion
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About
Topics
- Force
- Position
- Velocity
- Acceleration
Description
Explore forces and motion as you push household objects up and down a ramp. Lower and raise the ramp to see how the angle of inclination affects the parallel forces. Graphs show forces, energy and work.
Sample Learning Goals
- Predict, qualitatively, how an external force will affect the speed and direction of an object's motion.
- Explain the effects with the help of a free body diagram.
- Use free body diagrams to draw position, velocity, acceleration and force graphs and vice versa.
- Explain how the graphs relate to one another.
- Given a scenario or a graph, sketch all four graphs.
For Teachers
Teacher Tips
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Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ). |
Teacher-Submitted Activities
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Authors | Level | Type |
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| Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
CQs |
| Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
Demo HW CQs Lab |
| Ramp Activity 1: Using free body diagrams for motion on an incline (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | UG-Intro HS |
Lab CQs |
| Ramp Activity 2: Calculating Net force on an incline (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
CQs Lab |
| Ramp Middle School Inquiry |
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Ariel Paul, Courtney Fadley | MS | Lab |
| Ramp: Forces and Motion Investigation |
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Bruce Palmquist | UG-Intro HS |
Lab | |
| Ramp lab |
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Nathan Upchurch | HS | CQs | |
| How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? |
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Sarah Borenstein | MS | Other | |
| Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS |
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Trish Loeblein | HS | Other | |
| MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment | Elyse Zimmer | MS HS |
Other | ||
| Kinematics | Wang Yunhe | HS | Lab | ||
| PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C | Roberta Tanner | HS | Other | ||
| Forces Virtual Lab Ramp | Joanna MacDonald | UG-Intro HS |
Lab |
Translations
Software Requirements
| Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
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Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later
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OS 10.5 or later Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later
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Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later
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Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
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